1. Field of the Invention
The technical scope of the present invention is that of protection devices for a target attacked by a projectile.
2. Description of the Related Art
To protect a target, such as an armored vehicle, a shelter or building, it is known to provide means enabling an attacking projectile to be spotted and a defensive projectile to be fired in retaliation to destroy, deviate and/or perturb the attacking projectile before it reaches said target. The attacking projectile is very often a missile, but may be any of other type, for example a discarding-sabot projectile, a shaped or hollow charge projectile, etc. . . .
Thus, patent FR-A-2 722 873 describes a protection system comprising a launcher container, mobile in elevation and in bearing, servo controlled by a detection system allowing the firing of a defensive projectile to be triggered from the container. In this patent, a defensive projectile constituted by a splinter grenade is proposed.
A system is also known described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,748 comprising a cupola mobile in bearing with respect to an armored vehicle and supporting two launcher tubes mobile in elevation. A radar system enables the attacking missile to be spotted and the launch of an anti-missile defensive projectile to be triggered.
Patent DE-3 410 467 also proposes a defensive projectile constituted by a splinter-forming charge designed to perturb the attacking missile.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,229,540, 4,765,244 and FR-2458044 describe defense systems against attacking missiles that consist of the launch of a defensive projectile against such missiles.
In all the proposed systems, classical means are used to ensure orientation in elevation and in bearing, analogous to those implemented to orient a cannon or launcher. As a reminder, we note that the cannon is mobile in elevation with respect to a turret or support and that this turret is mobile in bearing with respect to the target. This architecture is well known to orient the cannon in all directions.
The drawback of these systems lies in the fact that they cause a modification of the silhouette of the target making it easier for the attacker to detect and thus more visible and more vulnerable.